BAG HOLDER, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR EMPTYING AN EFFLUENT BAG

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a bag holder for receiving a first effluent bag, which serves for receiving effluent resulting from a blood treatment being performed by a blood treatment apparatus and includes at least one closable effluent outlet opening and at least one effluent inlet opening. The bag holder includes one or several rollers for rolling the bag holder and at least one of the following features: a holding device for holding the first effluent bag in the bag holder, a receptacle for receiving the first effluent bag or a section thereof, a pump section for conveying effluent out of first effluent bag being received in the bag holder, at least one effluent outlet line for guiding effluent towards the pump section and/or out of the first effluent bag and/or at least one basin line for guiding effluent into the first effluent bag and/or away from the bag holder.

Claims

1-19. (canceled)

20. A bag holder comprising: one or several rollers or wheels for rolling the bag holder; wherein the bag holder is configured to receive a first effluent bag, which serves for receiving effluent resulting from a blood treatment executed using a blood treatment apparatus, wherein the first effluent bag comprises at least one closable effluent outlet opening and at least one effluent inlet opening, and the bag holder further comprises at least one of: a holding device for holding the first effluent bag in the bag holder; a receptacle for receiving the first effluent bag or a section thereof; a pump section for conveying effluent out of the first effluent bag being received or held in the bag holder; at least one effluent outlet line for guiding effluent towards the pump section and/or out of the first effluent bag; and at least one basin line for guiding effluent into the first effluent bag and/or away from the bag holder.

21. The bag holder according to claim 20, wherein the bag holder comprises the pump section and the pump section is a disposable product.

22. The bag holder according to claim 21, wherein the pump section comprises an impeller or a pump rotor.

23. The bag holder according to claim 20, wherein the bag holder comprises the pump section and the pump section or a section thereof is releasably latched to a section of the bag holder.

24. The bag holder according to claim 20, wherein the bag holder comprises the pump section and the pump section is connected or connectable to a pump drive being optionally releasable therefrom.

25. The bag holder according to claim 20, wherein the bag holder comprises the pump section and the pump section or the pump drive comprises a rechargeable voltage source.

26. The bag holder according to claim 20, comprising the first effluent bag which has an effluent inlet opening and an effluent outlet opening, wherein the effluent inlet opening is placed higher than the effluent outlet opening.

27. The bag holder according to claim 26, wherein the bag holder comprises the pump section and the pump section, an impeller thereof, and/or at least one coupling of the pump section is arranged beneath the effluent outlet opening in order to connect the pump section to the effluent outlet line or to the basin line.

28. The bag holder according to claim 20, further comprising a handle for pushing or pulling the bag holder.

29. The bag holder according to claim 20, wherein at least one of the rollers or the wheels comprises an activatable braking device.

30. A system for the treatment of the blood of a patient, comprising: at least one blood treatment apparatus; and at least one bag holder according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bag holder comprises one or several first effluent bags, and wherein the blood treatment apparatus comprises one or several second effluent bags and is in fluid communication therewith in order to bring effluent into the second effluent bags during the blood treatment.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the blood treatment apparatus is configured as a hemodialysis apparatus, hemofiltration apparatus, or hemodiafiltration apparatus.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the blood treatment apparatus is configured as an apparatus for the acute, the chronic or the continuous renal replacement therapy.

33. The system according to claim 30, wherein each of the one or several second effluent bags comprises an effluent outlet opening having a first connector of a first type, wherein each effluent outlet line is connected, with one of its ends, at a first coupling of the pump section, wherein its other end comprises a second connector of the first type for connection with the first connector, and wherein the effluent outlet opening of each of the one or several first effluent bags comprises a third connector for connection with the second connector of the first type.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein each basin line is connected, with one of its ends, to a second coupling of the pump section, wherein the other end of each basin line comprises a fourth connector of a second type, and wherein the system further comprises a basin having a fifth connector for connection with each fourth connector.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the effluent inlet line of each of the one or several first effluent bags comprises a sixth connector of the second type for connection with the fourth connector.

36. The system according to claim 30, wherein the at least one bag holder includes exactly one first effluent bag and/or exactly one second effluent bag.

37. A method for emptying a second effluent bag of a blood treatment apparatus which second effluent bag was at least partially filled with effluent during a treatment of the blood of a patient, wherein the second effluent bag comprises an effluent outlet opening, the method comprising: providing a system according to claim 35; connecting the effluent outlet opening of the second effluent bag that is at least partially filled to the effluent outlet line of the respective bag holder in order to guide effluent out of the second effluent bag that is at least partially filled such that a fluid communication is established between the interior of the second effluent bag that is at least partially filled and the interior of the effluent outlet line; and conveying effluent, wherein said effluent is sucked out of the second effluent bag that is at least partially filled by the pump section and by the effluent outlet line and wherein, along the basin line, the effluent is pumped into one of the one or several first effluent bags of the bag holder.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein effluent is emptied out of a first effluent bag that is at least partially filled into a basin by: connecting the effluent outlet line to the effluent outlet opening of the first effluent bag that is at least partially filled by connecting the respective second connector to the respective third connector; arranging the respective fourth connector of the basin line over or in the basin; and conveying effluent out of the first effluent bag that is at least partially filled, wherein, along the effluent outlet line and by the pump section, said effluent is sucked out of the first effluent bag that is at least partially filled and wherein, along the basin line, the effluent is pumped into or over the basin.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the respective fourth connector is connected to the fifth connector.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the bag holder is moved using the rollers or wheels towards the basin in order to empty effluent out of the first effluent bag that is at least partially filled into the basin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0122] In the following, the present invention is purely exemplarily described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical reference numerals refer to the same or to identical components. In the figures, the following applies:

[0123] FIG. 1 shows a highly simplified illustration of a flow diagram of a blood treatment apparatus having an extracorporeal blood circuit;

[0124] FIG. 2 shows a simplified illustration of a system with a blood treatment apparatus and a bag holder in a first embodiment;

[0125] FIG. 3 shows the bag holder of the system of FIG. 1 next to a basin for emptying the first effluent bag; and

[0126] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of the method described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0127] FIG. 1 shows a highly simplified illustration of a process flow diagram of a blood treatment apparatus 100 of a system, optionally connected to an extracorporeal blood circuit 300 and a discharge hose system for an effluent bag 400, being herein designated as a second effluent bag. The extracorporeal blood circuit 300 includes a first line 301, here an arterial line section.

[0128] The first line 301 is in fluid communication with a blood treatment apparatus, here exemplarily a blood filter or dialyzer 303. The blood filter 303 includes a dialysis fluid chamber 303a and a blood chamber 303b, which are separated from each other by a mostly semi-permeable membrane 303c.

[0129] The extracorporeal blood circuit 300 further includes at least a second line 305, here a venous line section. Both the first line 301 as well as the second line 305 may serve as their connection to the vascular system patient (not shown).

[0130] The first line 301 is optionally connected to a (first) hose clamp 302 for blocking or closing the line 301. The second line 305 is optionally connected with a (second) hose clamp 306 for blocking or closing line 305.

[0131] The blood treatment apparatus 100 which is represented, only by some of its devices and merely schematically, in FIG. 1, includes a blood pump 101. During the patient's treatment, the blood pump 101 conveys blood through sections of the extracorporeal blood circuit 300 towards the blood filter or dialyzer 303. This is illustrated by the small arrow tips, which are used in each of the figures to generally indicate the direction of flow.

[0132] Fresh dialysis liquid is pumped from a source 200 along the dialysis liquid inlet line 104 into the dialysis liquid chamber 303a by a pump for dialysis liquid 121, which may be designed as a roller pump or as an otherwise occluding pump. The dialysis liquid leaves the dialysis liquid chamber 303a in the direction of the second effluent bag 400 as dialysate possibly enriched by filtrate, and is herein referred to as effluent.

[0133] The source 200 may be, for example a bag or a container. The source 200 may also be a fluid line through which online and/or continuously generated or mixed liquid is provided, for example a hydraulic output or -connection of the blood treatment apparatus 100.

[0134] A further source 201 with substituate may be optionally provided. It may correspond to the source 200 or be a separate source.

[0135] An only outlined control device or closed-loop control device 150 may be configured for the closed-loop controlling or the controlling of the blood treatment apparatus.

[0136] There is indicated in FIG. 1 on the bottom right where a second effluent bag 400 may be connected to the blood treatment apparatus 100. The second effluent bag 400 includes an effluent outlet opening 400a and a first connector K1.

[0137] In addition to the aforementioned blood pump 101, the arrangement in FIG. 1 further includes purely optionally a series of further pumps, in each case optional, namely the pump 111 for substituate, the pump 121 for dialysis liquid and the pump 131 for the effluent.

[0138] The pump 121 is provided to supply the blood filter 303 with dialysis liquid from a source 200, for example a bag, using a dialysis liquid inlet line 104, and via an optional existing bag heating H2 with a heating bag.

[0139] The thus supplied dialysis liquid exits again from the blood filter 303 via a dialysate outlet line 102 supported by the optional pump 131, and may be discarded.

[0140] Upstream of the blood pump 101, an optional arterial sensor PS1 is provided. During a patient's treatment it measures the pressure in the arterial line.

[0141] Downstream of the blood pump 101, but upstream of the blood filter 303 and if provided, downstream of an addition site 25 for heparin, a further optional pressure sensor PS2 is provided. It measures the pressure upstream of the blood filter 303 (“pre-hemofilter”).

[0142] Again, a further pressure sensor for measuring the filtrate pressure of the blood filter 303 may be provided as PS4 downstream of the blood filter 303 or upstream of the pump 131 in the dialysate outlet line 102.

[0143] Blood, which leaves the blood filter 303, passes through an optional venous blood chamber 29, which may include a ventilation device 31 and/or a further pressure sensor PS3.

[0144] The control device or closed-loop control device 150 shown in FIG. 1 may be in cable or wireless signal communication to any of the components referred to herein—e.g., to the blood pump 101—in order to control or close-loop control the blood treatment apparatus 100.

[0145] The optional pump 111 is provided to supply the second line 305 with substituate from the optional source 201, for example a bag, via an optional existing bag heating H1 with a heating bag.

[0146] FIG. 2 shows a simplified illustration of a system for treating a patient's blood in a first embodiment.

[0147] On the right, the second effluent bag 400 is arranged on the blood treatment apparatus 100 which usually has a capacity of 10 l by way of example. In the second effluent bag 400, effluent accumulating during an ongoing treatment can be collected.

[0148] To the left of the blood treatment apparatus 100, a bag holder 1000 is shown in FIG. 2, on or at which a first effluent bag 400′ is arranged. The first effluent bag 400′ may optionally include a considerably larger capacity than the second effluent bag 400 of the blood treatment apparatus 100. This is indicated by a dashed line.

[0149] Exemplary filling levels or liquid levels of the two effluent bags 400′ and 400 are marked with dot-dash lines.

[0150] The two effluent bags 400′ and 400 may have at their upper end, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, eyelets 425 for their attachment, for example to hooks, to the blood treatment apparatus 100 or to the bag holder 1000, respectively.

[0151] In FIG. 2, a pump section 2300 with a first and a second coupling P1 or P2 can be seen on the bag holder 1000. Here, the first coupling P1 is connected to one end of an effluent outlet line 403 and the second coupling P2 is connected to one end of a basin line 407.

[0152] At the end of the effluent outlet line 403 opposite of the first coupling P1, said line optionally has a second connector K2, with which it is connected (in the procedure for emptying the second effluent bag 400 shown in FIG. 2) to the first connector K1 (see FIG. 1) of the second effluent bag 400 of the treatment apparatus 100. In this way, a fluid communication is established between the interior of the second effluent bag 400 and the interior of the effluent outlet line 403.

[0153] At its end opposite of the second coupling P2, the basin line 407 optionally has a fourth connector K4, by which it is connected to a sixth connector K6 of the first effluent bag 400′. In this way, a fluid communication is established between the interior of the basin line 407 and the interior of the first effluent bag 400′.

[0154] Thus, the interior of the second effluent bag 400 and the interior of the first effluent bag 400′ are here fluidically connected via the effluent outlet line 403, the pump section 2300 and the basin line 407. Via the pump sections 2300, effluent may be pumped from the second effluent bag 400 into the first effluent bag 400′.

[0155] A pumping process is indicated in FIG. 2 by effluent drops. During the pumping process, the second effluent bag 400 now empties and the first effluent bag 400′ fills to the same extent, whereby the liquid levels change according to the arrows in FIG. 2.

[0156] After the pumping process is completed, for example when the second effluent bag 400 at the blood treatment apparatus 100 has been completely emptied, or when a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the second connector K2 of the effluent outlet line 403 can be detached from the first connector K1 of the second effluent bag 400 and connected to a third connector K3 of the first effluent bag 400′. The effluent outlet opening 400a of the second effluent bag 400 may be closed, for example by a stopcock.

[0157] The bag holder 1000, uncoupled in this way from the second effluent bag 400 of the blood treatment apparatus 100, can now be moved by its rollers or wheels 1010 to a basin 600 (see FIG. 3), for example, it is pulled or pushed by the outlined handle 409.

[0158] If the first effluent bag 400′ is received in a bowl in or at the bag holder 1000, a through-opening for the effluent outlet line 403 must be provided in the vicinity of the effluent outlet opening 400′a.

[0159] FIG. 3 shows the bag holder 1000 of the system from FIG. 2 next to a basin 600 when emptying the first effluent bag 400′.

[0160] After the bag holder 1000 has been positioned next to the basin 600, here a sink, the fourth connector K4 of the basin line 407 can be detached from the sixth connector K6 of the first effluent bag 400 and the basin line 407 can be positioned, for example hung, in or above the basin 600.

[0161] It is conceivable to connect the fourth connector K4 of the bowl line 407 to an optional fifth connector K5 of the basin 600, for example, in order to provide drip-proof fixing of the basin line 407 when the first effluent bag 400′ is emptied. Such a fifth connector K5 is conceivable for all types of basins 600, including, for example, disposal lines within media supplies or at wallboards.

[0162] If the basin line 407 is positioned in, at or over the basin 600, the effluent may be discarded out of the first effluent bag 400′ into the basin 600 by the pump section 2300 via the effluent outlet line 403 and the basin line 407.

[0163] A reverse function of the pump section 2300 is not required as the pump direction may be the same both when filling the first effluent bag 400 and when emptying it. It is therefore advantageously also possible for the pump section 2300 to have an impeller.

[0164] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of the method described herein.

[0165] Hereby, the bag holder 1000 is in step S1, which concerns the provision thereof, in an initial position in which the second connector K2 of the effluent outlet line 403 is optionally connected to the third connector K3 of the first effluent bag 400′. The fourth K4 connector of the basin line 407 is optionally connected to the sixth connector K6 of the first effluent bag 400′.

[0166] Step S2 represents placing the bag holder 1000 near the blood treatment apparatus 100, for example by moving, pushing and/or pulling it using the rollers or the wheels 1010.

[0167] In step S3, a bag change interval is started on the blood treatment apparatus 100, optionally by disconnecting the machine-side effluent inlet line or dialysate outlet line 102 from the inlet of the second effluent bag 400, which is not shown in the figures. This optional procedure is not shown in any of the other figures.

[0168] Step S4 represents separating the second connector K2 of the effluent outlet line 403 from the third connector K3 and connecting the second connector K2 to the first connector K1 of the second effluent bag 400, which for example hangs on or at a balance scale of the blood treatment apparatus 100.

[0169] In step S5, a shut-off device is opened at or upstream of the first connector K1 and then in step S6 the effluent is pumped by the pump section 2300 from the second effluent bag 400 of the blood treatment apparatus 100 via the effluent outlet line 403 and the basin line 407 via the sixth connector K6 into the first effluent bag 400′ of the bag holder 1000. The pumping may continue until the second effluent bag 400 of the blood treatment apparatus 100 is completely emptied.

[0170] After the pumping procedure in step S6, the second connector K2 of the effluent outlet line 403 is separated from the first connector K1 of the second effluent bag 400 in step S7.

[0171] In step S8, the second connector K2 of the effluent outlet line 403 is connected to the third connector K3 of the first effluent bag 400′ of the bag holder 1000.

[0172] The bag holder 1000, separated from the second effluent bag 400 in this way, may now in step 9 be moved by the rollers or wheels 1010 to the vicinity of a basin 600, for example a sink or a toilet, in order to discard the effluent there. For this purpose, the optional braking device may be activated so that the bag holder 1000 stands securely.

[0173] In step S10, the fourth connector K4 of the basin line 407 is separated from the sixth connector K6 of the first effluent bag 400′.

[0174] Using the fourth connector K4 of the basin line 407, it can now in step S11 be connected to the optional fifth connector K5 of the basin 600. The fifth connector K5 may, for example, also be a disposal connector of a media supply and may be located for example in a wallboard. Alternatively, the basin line 407 can also be for example inserted or hung directly into or over the basin 600 without being fixed by the connector(s) K4 or K5.

[0175] In Step S12, the content of the first effluent bag 400′ may now be pumped out by the pump section 2300 into the basin 600 via the effluent outlet line 403 and the basin line 407.

[0176] After the pumping process has been completed, the fourth connector K4 of the basin line 407 is in step S13 optionally separated again from the fifth connector K5 of the basin 600.

[0177] Subsequently, the fourth connector K4 of the outlet line 407 is connected to the sixth connector K6 of the first effluent bag 400′, which brings the bag holder 1000 back to the initial position described in step S1.

[0178] The method may now be repeated starting from step S2 arbitrarily or as often as necessary, e.g., several times during a treatment session.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0179] 25 addition site for Heparin (optional) [0180] 29 venous blood chamber (optional) [0181] 31 ventilation or deaeration device [0182] 100 blood treatment apparatus [0183] 101 blood pump [0184] 102 dialysate outlet line, effluent inlet line [0185] 104 dialysis liquid inlet line [0186] 111 substituate pump [0187] 121 dialysis liquid pump [0188] 131 pump for dialysate or effluent in the effluent inlet line [0189] 150 control device or closed-loop control device [0190] 200 dialysis liquid source [0191] 201 substituate source, optional [0192] 300 extracorporeal blood circuit [0193] 301 first line (arterial line section) [0194] 302 (first) hose clamp [0195] 303 blood filter or dialyzer [0196] 303a dialysis liquid chamber [0197] 303b blood chamber [0198] 303c semi-permeable membrane [0199] 305 second line (venous line section) [0200] 306 (second) hose clamp [0201] 400′ first effluent bag [0202] 400′a effluent outlet opening [0203] 400′b effluent inlet opening [0204] 400 second effluent bag [0205] 400a effluent outlet opening [0206] 403 effluent outlet line [0207] 407 basin line [0208] 409 handle [0209] 425 eyelets [0210] 600 basin [0211] 1000 bag holder [0212] 1010 rollers; wheels [0213] 2300 pump section [0214] H2 bag heating with heating bag (dialysis liquid) [0215] H1 bag heating with heating bag (substituate) [0216] K1 first connector [0217] K2 second connector [0218] K3 third connector [0219] K4 fourth connector [0220] K5 fifth connector [0221] K6 sixth connector [0222] P1, P2 first or second coupling of the pump section [0223] PS1, PS2 arterial pressure sensor (optional) [0224] PS3 pressure sensor (optional) [0225] PS4 pressure sensor for measuring the filtrate pressure [0226] S1 bis S13 method steps